Shoe bottom having interspersed materials
A shoe (and fabrication techniques therefor) on which is provided a bottom portion that includes a sole portion and a heel portion and that has a bottom surface and an upper portion extending upwardly from the bottom portion. The bottom surface of the bottom portion of the shoe has areas of a fabric material (such as cotton, nylon, polyester, any other cloth or fabric), or any of a variety of other first materials, interspersed with areas of a durable material (such as ethylene vinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic rubber, any other plastic, and/or any other natural or synthetic leather or rubber), or any of a variety of other second materials.
1. A method for forming the bottom portion of a shoe, said method comprising:
(a) placing a preformed piece of material into a mold for the bottom portion of a shoe;
(b) placing a piece of perforated material into the mold on top of the preformed piece of material;
(c) inserting a durable material into the mold on top of the perforated material, subject to at least one of the following: (i) the durable material is injected into the mold in liquid form, and (ii) at least a portion of the durable material nearest to the perforated material is caused to melt after insertion into the mold; and
(d) causing the durable material to harden into solid form,
wherein the preformed piece of material is substantially more durable than the perforated material.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the durable material is substantially more durable than the perforated material.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the durable material is comprised of at least one of synthetic rubber, natural rubber, polyvinyl chloride, ethylene vinyl acetate, thermoplastic rubber, thermoplastic elastomer and plastic.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the perforated material is perforated with holes having a dimension greater than 0.5 millimeter.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises placing plural pieces of the perforated material into the mold.
6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the perforated material is comprised of cloth.
7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the perforated material is a textile material.
8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the perforated material is multi-colored.
9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the durable material is injected into the mold in liquid form.
10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the durable material is inserted into the mold in solid form.
11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein perforations in the piece of perforated material form a design pattern.
12. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the piece of perforated material has at least one of (i) frayed edges and (ii) a plurality of projections.
13. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the preformed piece of material has been formed by injection molding.
14. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the preformed piece of material includes a plurality of openings.
15. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the preformed piece of material has approximately a same size and shape as the mold, such that the preformed piece of material just fits within the mold.
16. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the piece of perforated material is approximately a same size as the preformed piece of material.
17. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the preformed piece of material has approximately a same size and shape as the mold, such that the preformed piece of material just fits within the mold.
18. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the piece of perforated material is larger than an interior of the mold, whereby portions of the piece of perforated material extend upwardly along the inner walls of the mold.
19. A portion of a shoe bottom constructed in accordance with the method of claim 1 .
20. A portion of a shoe bottom according to claim 19 , wherein the preformed piece of material has approximately a same size and shape as the mold, such that the preformed piece of material just fits within the mold.